Device for mending shoes.



J. KIEFER.

DEVICE Fon MENDING SHOES.

'APPLICATION FILED APB. 21, 1911.

1,023.1 55.'.- Y Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

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JACOB KIEFER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.-

DEVICE FOR MENDING SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1re.

Application led April 21, 1911. Serial No. 622,589.

To all whom t may concern: Be it known that I, J Aoo KIEFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Device for Mending Shoes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an appliance for shoe-makers use to be employed for stretching and holding leather tips, patches, etc., upon the shoe until such time as the same can be permanently secured thereto by stitching, cementing, or in other suitable ways. The device was produced originally in order to facilitate the mending of the tips of childrens shoes which is usually a very diiicult matter owing to the small size of the shoe and the consequent difficulty of` inserting either the hand or a suitable tool therein, although experience has demonstrated its value in mending shoes of larger size and for mending other parts than the toes. This difliculty is further aggravated by the fact that patent leather is-always difcult to apply smoothly and to hold free from wrinkles during the vinsertion of the stitches. w I

The object of this invention .is the production of a clamp by means of which a leather tip or patch can be vgently but firmly held in position yso that the wrinkles can be smoothed out found and by which in such position trated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this applicatiomwherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a shoe illustrating my improved clamp in place thereon; Fig. 2 a perspective view showing a leather tip wired in position according to my invention preparatory to being sewed; Fig. and Fig. 4 a transverse cross sectional view taken along the broken line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Describing the parts by reference characters, 1 indicates the sole of a shoe, 2 the upper thereof, and 3 the leather tip or toecap which is being applied thereto. Through the edge of the sole at each side of the upper and slightly in the rear of the edge of this tip I form, by an awl or other convenient tool, a perforation 5 through which I pass the ends of a flexible wire 6 so as to leave and thecorrect position bethe same may be held until permanently secured One embodiment of my invention is illus- 3 a plan view of the clamp;

va loop or bight 7 surrounding the tip of the shoe 1n the groove between the upper and the welt, after which I constrict this loop or fbight so as to draw t-he tip 3 firmly over the top of the shoe and down approximately to lits fixed position. The means for drawing this wire into place consists preferably of a lmetallic base member 10 having at one "end astaple 11 or other convenient fasten- 11ng for securing one end of the wire, and having at the other end a pair of projecting `arms 12 and 13 defining a groove 14. The llower surface of this member is preferably `flat, as at 15, and provided with two or more -short .prongs 16 adapted to be forced into the leather of the sole and the upper surface .of the lower arm is preferably rounded, fas at 13a, so that the end of the wire may be drawn freely thereover. The arms 12 and 13 are formed with registering perforaf tions through which is passed a rotatable key 17 having at its outer end a milled head 218 by which it may be turned, and having lopposlte the groove 'or notch 14 a perfora- -ltion 19 adapted to receive the other end of fthe wire v6. Rigidly secured to this key adjacent to the arm 12 is a ratchet wheel 2O "adapted to be engaged by a spring-pressed `pawl 21 carried by said arm by means of which its retrograde rotation may be prevented.

The operation of the device is as follows: The perforations 5 having been made in the sole of the shoe, the wire 6 is passed therethrough and the base member 10 applied to the sole thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, with one side of thev arm 18 adjacent one of the perforations. One end of the wire is secured to the staple 11, as shown, while the other end is passed through the perforation 19 in the key 17 which is afterward revolved so as to wind the wire thereon. As the loo-p vor bightl 7 is tightened up, the tip 3 is moved to position and the wrinkles smoothed out, after which the key 17 is still further tightened so as to bring the edges of this tip into the proper position for sewing. Inasmuch as small gage wire is usually employed, the sewing may be accomplished with very little hindrance therefrom. I prefer to employ copper wire of about twenty-six gage, inasmuch as this wire is very flexible and sufficiently strong for all ordinary purposes. Obviously, the same result would be attained by .securing the fixed end of the wire in other modes than by fastening it to the vmember 10, such as by knotting it to prevent it from passing through the perforation 5. I prefer to secure it to this member, however, as it then aids in securing the same to the sole of the shoe and renders unnecessary the use of screws, clamps, or other special fastenings. Furthermore, it is possible to employ thread or cord instead of wire although I prefer the wire for several reasons: .The leather can be divided more uniformly since the friction is more uniform, there is no danger of sewing it into place when the stitches are put in, and it forms a guide for the knife in cutting away the superfluous leather.

While I have described my improved clamp as particularly adapted for use in mending childrens shoes, I do not propose to be limited to such use as it is obvious th at it could be employed with good results on other shoes as well; I conceive that its chief use will be in connection with childrens shoes both because of the childrens tendency to wear out the toes t-hereof and because of the great diiiiculty of mending the same with the devices heretofore known. Furthermore, it is possible to employ my device in mending other parts of the shoe than the toe, particularly the heel, and itl is thought that the method of applying the same will be obvious to any shoe-maker. Furthermore, while I have described my invention in detail, I do not propose to be Y limited to such details except as the same may be positively recited in the claims hereto annexed or may be rendered necessary by the prior state of the art.

Having thus described my inventiom. `what I claim is: 40

1. A device for mending shoes, comprising, in combination, a clamp comprising a base member adapted to be applied to the sole of a shoe, a rotatable key carried by said member and having a ratchet device associated therewith, a pawl engaging said ratchet, means for securing a wire to said key so as to be tightened upon the rotation thereof, and means for securing the other end of said wire to said base member so as to form a patch-engaging loop or bight.

2. A device for attaching a tip to a shoe, comprising, in combination, a wire loop adapted to surround the toe of the shoe and lie in the space between the welt and upper ing, in combination,

and to hold the tip in place, said loop being adapted to have its ends project through perforat-ions in the shoe sole, and a clamp member adapted to be applied to the sole and to receive said ends, said clamp being provided with means for constricting said loo A device for mending shoes, comprisa clamp member adapted to be aiixed to the sole of a shoe, a rotatable key carried by said clamp member and having a ratchet device associated therewith, a pawl engaging said ratchet, and means for securing a wire to said key so as to be tightened upon the rotation thereof.

4. A device for mending shoes, comprising, in combination, a clamp comprising a base member adapted to be applied to the sole of a shoe and having a pair of arms de- :fining a notch therebetween, a rotatable key journaled in said arms and traversing said notch, a wire adapted to be secured to said key opposite said notch, means for securing the other end of said wire to said base member so as to form a loop adap-ted to partially surround a patch, means for prevent-- ing the shifting of said base member asV regards said sole, and means for preventing the retrograde rotation of said key as the same is turned to tighten said wire.

5. A device for mending shoes, compris-- ing, in combination, a clamp member adapted to be aliXed to the sole of a shoe and comprising a base member having aV pair of arms defining a notch therebetween, a

.rotatable key journaled in said armsand traversing said notch, means for securing a wire to said key opposite said notch, 'and means for preventing the retrograde rotation of said key as the same is turned to tighten said wire.

6. A device for mending shoes comprising, in combination, a clamp device adapted to be applied to a shoe and comprising a base member having a rotatable key associated therewith, means for securing one end of a wire to said key, means for securing t-he other end of said wire to said base member, said key being so arranged as to effectthe drawing in of said wire when rotated, and means for preventing the retrograde rotation of said key.

7 A device for mending shoes, comprising, in combination, a clamp device adapted to be aiiXed to a shoe and having a rotatable key associated therewith, means for securing one end of a wire to said key, means for securing the other end of said wire in fixed position as regards said shoe, said key being so arranged as to eifect the drawing in of said wire when rotated, and means for preventing the ret-rograde rotation of said key.

8. A device for mending shoes, comprising, in combination, a clamp member having a flat base and having prongs thereon adapted to be pressed into the sole of a shoe, and adapted to receive the ends of a wire loop, and means carried by and forming a part of said clamp member for drawing up said wire loop so. as to decrease the area defined by the same. .Y

9. A device for mending shoes, comprising, in combination, a Yclamp device adapted to be secured to the sole of a shoe, tension means secured Ato said clamp device and adapted to project through perforations in the edges of the sole and to partly surround a patch of leather or other suitable material, and means carried by and forminga part of said clamp device for exerting ten-y sion upon said tension member to draw said patch securely into place, and simultaneously to hold said clamp device in position against the sole.

10. A device for monding shoes, comprising, in combination, a clamp device adapted to be secured to the sole of a shoe, tension means secured to said clamp device and Copies of this patent may be obtained for adapted to partly surround a patch of leather or other suitable material, and means carried by and forming a part of said clamp device for exerting tension upon said tension member to draw said patch securely into place.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aHX my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

JACOB KIEFER.

W'itnesses HAROLD E. SMITH, BRENNAN B. WEST.

ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

